Question by Fiona Black: why would extra carbon dioxide make tomatoes grow better? Need help with a science question on photosynthesis and greenhouses:

A grower of tomatoes suggested that heating a greenhouse would help to produce bigger and better crops. This is not just because it is warmer but because the burning paraffin produces carbon dioxide gas. Why would extra carbon dioxide make tomatoes grow better?

(GCSE level answer please) thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by Roger SCO2 is one of the basic raw materials the tomatoes are made from. Plants use solar energy and combine CO2 and H2O to make simple organic acids, which are then made into glucose. The glucose is then made into cellulose, which is the major organic substance found in plants. In a tree the cellulose is compact and wood forms. In the tomato the cellulose sheets are thinner than a soap bubble, so fruit is much softer than wood.